In the drive for higher integration and operating speeds in LSI devices, the pattern rule is made drastically finer. The rapid advance toward finer pattern rules is grounded on the development of a projection lens with an increased NA, a resist material with improved performance, and exposure light of a shorter wavelength. In particular, the change-over from i-line (365 nm) to shorter wavelength KrF laser (248 nm) brought about a significant innovation, enabling mass-scale production of 0.18 micron rule devices. To the demand for a resist material with a higher resolution and sensitivity, acid-catalyzed chemical amplification positive working resist materials are effective as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,491,628 and 5,310,619 (JP-B 2-27660 and JP-A 63-27829). They now become predominant resist materials especially adapted for deep UV lithography.
Resist materials adapted for KrF excimer lasers enjoyed early use on the 0.3 micron process, passed through the 0.25 micron rule, and currently entered the mass production phase on the 0.18 micron rule. Engineers have started investigation on the 0.15 micron rule, with the trend toward a finer pattern rule being accelerated. A wavelength change-over from KrF to shorter wavelength ArF excimer laser (193 nm) is expected to enable miniaturization of the design rule to 0.13 μm or less. Since conventionally used novolac resins and polyvinylphenol resins have very strong absorption in proximity to 193 nm, they are difficult to use as the base resin for resists. To ensure transparency and dry etching resistance, some engineers investigated acrylic and alicyclic (typically cycloolefin) resins as disclosed in JP-A 9-73173, JP-A 10-10739, JP-A 9-230595 and WO 97/33198.
Among others, a focus is drawn on (meth)acrylic resin base resists featuring a high resolution. One of the (meth)acrylic resins proposed thus far is a combination of (meth)acrylic units having methyladamantane ester as acid labile group units with (meth)acrylic units having lactone ring ester as adhesive group units as disclosed in JP-A 9-90637. Norbornyl lactone is also proposed as an adhesive group having enhanced etching resistance as disclosed in JP-A 2000-26446, JP-A 2000-159758 and JP-A 2002-371114.
Of the outstanding tasks associated with the ArF lithography, it is desired to minimize line edge roughness and to reduce residues following development. One of the factors causing line edge roughness is swelling during development. While the polyhydroxystyrene used as the resist for KrF lithography, in which the phenol moiety is a weak acidic group and has an appropriate alkali solubility, is resistant to swelling, polymers containing hydrophobic cycloaliphatic groups, which must be dissolved using carboxylic acids having a high acidity, are likely to swell during development.
Naphthalene ring is an aromatic having less absorption at wavelength 193 nm. ArF resist compositions based on vinyl naphthalene copolymers are described in J. Photopolym. Sci. Technol., Vol. 11, No. 3, p 489 (1998), JP-A 2004-163877, and JP-A 2002-107933. Since hydroxy-containing naphthalene rings exhibit weak acidity like phenol, they are expected to be effective in preventing swelling during development. Another advantage of naphthalene ring is high etching resistance.